Home Office

Refugees: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government why 250 refugees accommodated in hotels in Acton had their statutory £35 weekly allowance stopped,and how this was replaced.

Lord Harrington of Watford: Firstly, it is important to distinguish that those residing in contingency initial accommodation sites in Acton, within the London Borough of Ealing are destitute asylum seekers with an outstanding asylum claim and in receipt of asylum support.It is not the case that the Home Office halted emergency payments for 250 people within one of these sites. We are aware of some asylum seekers with damaged or lost ASPEN cards alongside others who were experiencing difficulties accessing their support. They were issued emergency payments, in the form of cash or supermarket vouchers which is standard practice in the event of any difficulties.Anyone experiencing difficulties with using their ASPEN cards can contact Migrant Help through the 24/7 helpline.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Afghan citizens have been given settled status in the UK in each of the pastfive years.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.The latest published information on EUSS applications concluded by outcome type to 31 December 2021, including settled status by non-EEA nationality, can be found in table EUSS_NON_EEA_02 available at: EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, December 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).A total of 890 applications from Afghan nationals had been granted settled status from when the EUSS began its first test phase on 28 August 2018 to 31 December 2021, with a further 1,730 granted pre-settled status in the same period.The Home Office also publishes data on grants of settlement in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release.Data on Afghan nationals granted settlement are published in Settlement summary table se_03 and in table Se_D01 of the managed migration detailed datasets.The latest data are provided in the table below. Corresponding data for 2021 will be published on 25 August 2022.Nationals of Afghanistan granted settlement, 2016 to 2020 20162017201820192020Afghanistan1,0511,2282,0461,9152,496Please note, a person may appear in both grants under the EUSS and in grants of settlement under another part of the Immigration Rules.

Ministry of Justice

Mental Capacity: Payments

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to respond to the consultation on Mental Capacity Act: Small Payments Scheme.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: We received over 200 responses to the consultation and have been carefully examining the views submitted. This is a complex area and responses have raised a number of issues that require more detailed consideration, including the security and simplicity of the scheme, how it would be delivered and the role and operation of the Court of Protection. We are currently working with the relevant departments and stakeholders to prepare the Government response to the consultation and will provide the House with a further update in due course.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to enable any group of parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly to form a devolved administration.

Lord Caine: The restoration of fully functioning devolved institutions in Northern Ireland remains our top priority. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland remains in close contact with the largest parties in Northern Ireland to encourage them to elect an Assembly Speaker and form a new Executive.